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(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 1'.

R. G. GRAHAM. OAPTIVE BALL APPARATUS FOR-PRAGTIGING GOLF, &c.

No. 534,041; Patented Peb. .12, 1895.y

Wh wf (No Model.) 2 Smeets-Sheetl 2 R. G. GRAHAM.

CAPTIVE BALL APPARATUS FOR PRAGTIGING GOLF, &o. No. 534,041.`

Patentedl Feb. 12, 1895.

Tm: nomas grans co. vauro-umn.. WASHINGTON UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

ROBERT GEORGE GRAHAM, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

CAPTlVE-BALL APPARATUS FOR PRACTICING GOLF, 8C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 534,041, dated February 12, 1895.

Application filed October 2, 1894.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT GEORGE GEA'- HAM, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at London, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Captive-Ball Apparatus for Practicing Golf or for Playing a Game, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus of that kind which is frequently used by golf players when practicing and in which a captive-ball is employed; and the object of my invention is to provide means for recordingthe force of the blow given to the ball and consequently the approximate distance which the ball, if free, would travel.

A suitable arrangement of apparatus is as follows, that is to say, the cord or the like to which the ball is attached is at one end connected to a spring pulley or drum in such a manner that when the ball is struck the cord or the like will be more or less unwound from the drum, and-so rotate the latter. In connection with the drum I arrange an index linger moving over a graduated dial, the extent of the movement of the finger over the dial giving the indication required.

The apparatus is advantageously arranged in a box provided with means for fixing it in position so that it will not be moved when the ball is driven.

To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of a captive-ball apparatus for practicing golf or for playing a game constructed according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a plan illustrating amodification of the invention, and Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a section en the line 7-7 Fig. '6 drawn to an enlarged scale.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

Serial No. 524,704. (No model.)

said cord being at one end fixed to the pulley or drum and having its other end, to which the ball is connected, extending through a channel or opening e in the casing.

f is a coiled spring which at one end is fixed to a flange gV inside the casing a while the other end is fixed tothe axle of the wheel b, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3, in such a manner that as the cord c isunwound from the pulley or drum b the said spring will be more or less coiled. With this arrangement it Will be understood that when the apparatus is fixed to the ground in the position shown in Fig. 1,^for,instance by means of a pin or peg introduced through the hole h in the .casing (or by spikes forming part of the box) and the ball d is struck by a club, the said 'I ball being caused to travel in the direction of the arrow 1, Fig. 1, will unwind the cord from the pulley b and consequently coil the spring f to an extent correspondingl to the momentum imparted to the ball, thereby storing some ofthe energy of momentum and consequently checking the iiight of the ball, the reaction of the spring serving to draw the ball back'tc/ the apparatus by rewinding the cord upon the pulley or drum.

In order to reduce as much as possible th sudden strain upon the spring I advantageously make a portion of the cord c outside the apparatus elastic, t', Figs. 1 and 4, indicating the elastic portion of the cord.

j is a stop of elastic material, such as india rubber, fixed to the cord c outside the casing d and serving tolimit the inward movement of the cord as the spring uncoils, the said ball j normally resting in a recess at the mouth of the channel e.

lo is a pinion formed on one end of the axis of the pulley b and engaging with aspur wheel Z for imparting movement to an index finger m moving over a graduated dial n, which dial is (as shown in Fig. 1) formed upon one side of a cover o which protects the gearing above referred to.

The motion of the wheel Z is communicated to the index finger m by the following means, that is to say, upon the boss or hub to which the finger mis fixed is attached aspring arm p which is arranged to press upon the under side of the dial n with sufficient pressure to 2, Fig. 1, the pinon moving away from the said tappet as the spring uncoils and Winds up the cord c. With this arrangement it will be understood that the index finger m has to be moved by hand back to the zero point each time the apparatus is operated.

In practice I find it advantageous to form openings in the casing ct adjacent to the periphery of the pulley l), for instance as shown at s Figs. 2, 3 and 4 so as to give free play to the cord and to enable the same to be adjusted in case it should become disarranged.

Instead of' employing a coiled spring f I may make use of a helical spring, as shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7. In this case the spring is located in one end of a tubular extension t formed upon the casing a, the said spring being connected to one end ofthe said tubular extension and having connected to its other end a cord fu. which is wound upon a drum or pulley c upon the axis ofthe pulley b in such a manner that as the cord c is unwound from the said pulley the said cord u, will be Wound upon the drum o causing the extension ofthe helical spring. In this modiicationalso the index or poiuterm is connected to the spring and as the latter is extended slides in a slot w against which is a graduated scale. Fig. 7 shows the way in which the said linger m is operated by the spring. The finger m, re-

mains in the position to which itis moved by the expansion of the spring f, until it is returned by hand to its original position.

It will be obvious that when desired my apparatus can be used simply for arresting the ball in which case the indicating mechanism is not required.

My improved apparatus may also be used for playing a game.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. In a captive ball apparatus the combination with the retracting spring, of the ball, a flexible connection between said spring and the ball, an elastic devicein said Ilexible counection interposed between said ball andthe spring and an indicator for indicating the amount of travel of said ball, substantially as described.

2. In a captive ballapparatus, the combination with the casing, provided on its outer face with an indicating scale, a pivoted pointer for traversing said scale, a friction spring secured to said pointer and engaging the inner face of said casing, and an arm secured to saidspring for moving said pointer, of a pulley, a retracting spring therefor, a cord en gaging said pulley, a ball secured to said cord and a part operated by said pulley for engag ing the arm on said friction spring to move said pointer in one direction,substantially as described.

ROBERT GEORGE GRAHAM.

Witnesses:

G. F. REDFERN, Of the firm of G. F. Redfern it O0., Patent Agents, London.

E. CHURCHER. 

